


Selective Blindness

by sevil



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Community: norsekink, Gen, Gen Work, Prompt Fic, Prompt Fill, Sarcasm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-05
Updated: 2017-06-05
Packaged: 2018-11-09 10:09:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11102340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sevil/pseuds/sevil
Summary: Over the years, he has learned to curb his tongue. Time and again his quick-fire, instinctual responses got him into more trouble than he generally wanted to be in.Prompt fill: Loki is a born snarker, and the Aesir are sarcasm blind.





	Selective Blindness

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Loki often felt alone, unwanted, unappreciated and like the Only Sane Man on Asgard because of all the serious miscommunication caused by the fact that he's a born Deadpan Snarker and the Aesir are all Snark/Sarcasm Blind.  
> +10 if the humans not only figure this out but also discover that all the previous serious Asgard vs. Jotunheim diplomatic incidents and wars? Same problem.  
> +100 if you can portray serious effects, with humour, rather than just humour or crack.

Over the years, he has learned to curb his tongue. Time and again his quick-fire, instinctual responses got him into more trouble than he generally wanted to be in. Loki grimaced as he remembered the time Odin had him clean goat sheds for a month, just because he had said he would rather be a goat farmer than go on another harebrained adventure with his brother.  
  
He started to train himself out of his instinctual responses after that, and he perfected his new speech pattern by the time he began serious weapons training with Tyr. These days, he kept his comments to himself, always.  
  
A slip up like that, in a situation like this, spoke volumes to anyone who knew him (not that anybody did, really). “He will come back to Asgard with me, and stand a fair trial for his crimes,” Thor had said. And Loki, mentally and physically exhausted, snapped back, not quite under his breath: “And the bards will sing of my glory, and all will be right in the realms.”  
  
Shock, anger, and sadness flickered for a moment over Thor's face, before he resumed his argument with the Midgardian general Fury. Thor's companion in the metal suit must have heard him as well, because he said: “What's a few thousand deaths between friends, right? No harm done, all is forgiven, thank you for choosing earth as your battleground today, hope to see you back soon, bye bye.”  
  
Thor stopped dead, and sudden silence filled the small briefing room. Loki's eyes went comically wide, and he stared at Thor's companion with his mouth open. Thor whirled around, his hand going for Mjölnir. He stared at the Midgardian, uncomprehending.  
  
The confusion on the Midgardian's face at the sudden silence was genuine: “What?” He shrugged.  
  
Loki hastily closed his mouth and lowered his eyelids. He couldn't believe he heard right. Had this man, this mortal, had Thor's friend just understood him? Understood what he meant to say, not what he actually said? And he had answered in kind, just as quick. His words were vicious, but Loki couldn't help the small smile that formed on his lips.  
  
Thor stood before his companion, gaping like a fish on dry land. Then he wheeled around, and stalked over to Loki. “Enough with your tricks, brother! Release the Midgardian immediately! I'll have no more of your witchcraft!” He brandished Mjölnir with one hand, while the other closed around Loki's throat.  
  
The room sprang into action immediately. The lost soldier in the red, white, and blue tried to prise Thor's hand off Loki's throat, the spider restrained the hawk with a firm hand on his elbow, and the metal man, which Loki dimly recalled was called Stark, turned to the green berserker at his side and said: “Was it something I said?”  
  
Suddenly, Fury's sharp voice cut through the commotion: “Enough! Thor, release the prisoner, now!” Reluctantly, Thor let go of Loki. The soldier put a hand on Thor's chest and insinuated himself between them, and Thor lowered Mjölnir and took a few steps back. Loki gasped for air. “Thank you, captain,” said Fury and nodded at the soldier, who stood back. “Now Thor, will you please explain what the fuck just happened?”  
  
Thor didn't take his eyes off Loki as he said: “My brother has bewitched the man of iron.”  
  
Stark looked at Thor, then at Loki, and back at Thor. He said: “Ehm, not to rain on your parade here, Point Break, but I'm quite certain he didn't have the time.”  
  
Thor furrowed his brow. “What do you mean?”  
  
“I only met Reindeer Games for a few minutes when we were fighting, and then he was too busy throwing me out of a window to go all Harry Potter on me. After that, I wasn't even in the same building as he until right before now. Also, I'm pretty sure JARVIS would have noticed any Imperius right away. He's awesome that way.”  
  
Loki could see the clear confusion on Thor's face, and he smirked inwardly. For once, it was Thor who made a fool of himself, and even after everything, it felt surprisingly good.  
  
“But how can you speak of forgiveness if you are not bewitched? How can you thank my brother for what he has done? He murdered thousands of your people! Your general Fury is anxious to get him off this realm, and you would have him come back?” Thor's words stumbled over each other in outrage.   
  
The perplexed look that gained him from Stark was priceless. “No, I don't. He can fuck off and die, or rot in the deepest dungeons on your shiny Asgard for all I care.”  
  
“But ...” For the second time that day, Thor was utterly speechless.  
  
There was a brief silence, before understanding dawned on the berserker's face. He turned to Thor and asked: “Thor, do you know what sarcasm is?”  
  
At the non sequitur, both Loki and Thor turned to the berserker for an explanation. “Sarcasm is a manner of speech where people say the exact opposite of what they actually mean. There is a certain tone of voice that is commonly used for it, and it lets other people know that you are speaking sarcastically and don't mean what you say.”  
  
Thor blinked, trying to wrap his head around the concept. Loki's eyes open wide, as the consequences of that explanation began to whirl in his mind.  
  
“What Tony just said, about forgiving Loki, and thanking him, it was meant sarcastically. He does not think that the lives of all those who died are meaningless, and of course he doesn't forgive Loki for what he's done.”  
  
“But why would he say so? I do not understand.”  
  
The answer was lost to Loki however, as a sudden rush of understanding swamped his mind. There were others here on Midgard who were like him, who used this sarcasm to express their thoughts, and they were understood! Even better, the berserker made it sound like it was something natural, something everyone on Midgard used all the time. Yet on Asgard, he had never met anyone who did not take his words at face value.   
  
His curiosity was piqued. If none of the Aesir understood sarcasm, yet everyone on Midgard seemed to, maybe it was species related. That meant Jotuns would probably also understand sarcasm, and use it freely in their speech. Loki mused for a moment how many misunderstandings between the two races were actually a result of their different speech patterns. He made a note to research it when he could, amused by the potential for further mischief and chaos.   
  
A hesitant hand on his arm jerked him back to the present. Thor stood before him, a questioning look in his eyes. Loki resisted the impulse to roll his eyes, and nodded. Thor asked: “Did you know about this sarcasm, Loki?”  
  
“I did not know the name, but I knew of the concept.”  
  
“What you said earlier, about the bards singing your glory when you come back to Asgard, did you mean it?”  
  
“I did not. I, as opposed to you, do understand sarcasm, and have since I first formed words.”  
  
Thor hesitated. “And you used it before, when ... when you talked to me?”  
  
Loki swallowed around the sudden lump in his throat. “Not for a very long time.”  
  
Thor looked like he wanted to say something else, but he was interrupted by general Fury: “As fascinating as this is, can we get back to business? I don't have all day.”  
  
As they got back to their negotiations, Loki noticed Thor's eyes straying to him from time to time, no doubt trying to remember all the instances where Loki had been sarcastic. This time, Loki really did roll his eyes.

 


End file.
